


Of Seagulls and Other Birds

by Nellie_McEnt



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Other, Seagulls - Freeform, language barriers, spoilers for A1Ch15 and on, tagged as major character death for canon death? how does this work, thanks socks, tuuri-bird, why does everything "fun" I write turn sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 11:49:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18343094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nellie_McEnt/pseuds/Nellie_McEnt
Summary: Prompt from ILoveMySocksAndSweater about "the crew and seagulls," with the addition of Tuuri, as suggested by LarsB (right? I'm terrible at remembering who told me to include what, I'm sorry, please correct me if I'm wrong).Arriving back in Reykjavik, the crew have various reactions to seagulls. Another bird shows up for Onni and Lalli.





	Of Seagulls and Other Birds

Emil Västerström hated seagulls. They were loud and noisy and chaotic, and, if he had been willing to admit it, reminded him a little too much of himself. The flocks in Reykjavik would have been a source of immense frustration to him—almost as bad as the lack of a proper bed—had he not been so relieved to be back in civilization. Still, seeing them wheeling and turning outside the quarantine ship did nothing to _improve_ his mood. He couldn’t fathom the smile on Reynir’s face. Didn’t he understand that they were shrieking demons, and the instant they stepped off of the boat the gulls’ cries would fill the air and there would be poop everywhere? Didn’t he know the _danger_ those creatures posed to hair? Of course, Reynir never seemed to care much about his hair, anyway. Emil thought this a dreadful shame; those flowing red locks had so much potential. He glanced sideways at the Icelander, then turned his attention to the gulls and glared out the window.  
Reynir was just glad to be home. The two birds that had perched on the windowsill to look at him were like friendly sentinels welcoming him back. Gulls must be so wise, he thought. They’d been all over the world and seen so many things. Of course, these particular gulls also seemed to have a certain gleam in their eyes. _Welcome back,_ he imagined them saying, _we thought you’d never survive. And your mother has been worried sick!_ Unsure whether to laugh at the idea of gulls delivering such a message, or to grimace at the truth of it, Reynir opened his mouth uncertainly to reply to the birds. A flash of golden hair to his left changed his mind, and he snapped his mouth shut. Emil looked less than happy.  
“What’s the matter? Aren’t you glad to be back in the regular world again?”  
The Swede looked at him without comprehension. “I know you can’t understand me,” Reynir kept chattering, “but you looked upset and and I was just worried about you. We’re back in _civilization_ , Emil! Go get Lalli and we can celebrate!  
Emil rolled his eyes, and, responding to the only word he recognized, went to find Lalli.  
He was standing in a corner, clutching his newly-retrieved rifle and looking sick. “Hey, Lalli,” Emil ventured. “Are you all right?”  
His friend made a noncommittal noise, sank to the floor, and curled up against the wall.  
“Mind if I sit here and talk?”  
Taking Lalli’s silence for an answer, Emil continued, “I saw some gulls just now. They  
are disgusting. Filthy vermin of the air! I swear, their life’s purpose is to personally ruin mine. Last time I was in a port city, six gulls swooped out of the sky and started trying to steal my food. _My_ food, Lalli, can you imagine? Who gave them the right?”  
Lalli slumped sideways against Emil’s shoulder. Pretending to be frustrated, Emil reached a hand to flatten Lalli’s disorderly hair and waited for the unboarding announcement.

Sigrun had been ready to leave the quarantine ship moment she stepped on to it. When the docking announcement came over the speakers, she practically dragged Mikkel to the doors of the ship. “Mikkel, look! Signs of actual, living, free civilization! Houses! Annoying beach birds! An utter lack of glass walls!”  
“Annoying beach birds,” said Mikkel slowly. “Yes. However, I believe the scientific term is _aveste vexas._ ”  
“Whatever.” In truth, Sigrun liked these birds. They were loud and adventurous and unafraid to make a move; they charged into danger with the proper fortitude of real warriors.  
“Now, now, you should never just brush off a scientific title like that. Did you know that _aveste vexas_ have been proven to have great military value, and the capability to understand human speech? You wouldn’t want to insult possible future subordinates, would you?”  
Sigrun looked chastened for a second. “No, but I bet these are just civilian aveste-whatevers who would be of no real use in the actual military. You probably need special _trained_ birds to fight properly.”  
Mikkel, smiling slightly, nodded his agreement, and they stepped onto the dock. Gulls were an excellent topic, he decided. He really ought to bring them up in conversation more often.

Lalli shrank at the sounds of the outside world. A month in quarantine, and he had almost forgotten how _loud_ cities were during the day. The chatter in the room where he had gotten his rifle had been bad enough, but add to it the loud noises of ships, the clatter of horse-hoofs over stone, and the shrieks of those weird birds, and it was unbearable. He clasped his hands over his ears, stumbled a few steps backward.  
“Lalli? Are you alright?” Emil reached out, steadied him, and for once he didn’t complain. He let Emil guide him down the ramp and onto the dock. In the street, he collapsed, spilling what little food he had eaten onto the stone.  
When Lalli looked up, he was face to face with a curious gull. He glared at it, but it only tipped its head to the side, questioning. He did not like these creatures, and never had. He hissed, and it hopped back a couple of steps. Lalli huffed, and stood, and followed Emil into the crowd. Stupid bird.  
He watched as, one by one, the people he had spent the past few months with were picked up by family members, wept over, chastised, greeted with stoicism or enthusiasm. He wouldn’t miss them, except for Emil.  
And the one he didn’t even have the option of seeing again.  
He brushed off Taru, and was standing looking at the ground and trying again to sort through the combined melancholy, sadness, and relief in him, when a hand grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into the shadow of a building.  
It was Onni. Of course it was Onni.  
“Don’t dwell on it. It’ll be fine. We will be fine.”  
They wouldn’t, and they weren’t.

Onni had never appreciated seagulls much, and he liked them even less now. Their noises sounded like warnings, but loud and abrasive and unnecessary. So unlike another bird he knew, or had known. He didn’t know if he wanted to forget her or spend every last minute of his life thinking about her. 

And then a single, light note pierced the air. Onni and Lalli glanced at each other, then up at the dock pilings. On the top of the highest one, they could barely make out a faint white light.  
The note sounded again, and the light turned slightly, and now they could see a small bird, round, with soft feathers softly glowing.  
A choking noise escaped Onni’s throat, and he moved quickly, suddenly, as if to chase after the bird. Lalli’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Hush. Look. Be quiet.”  
So they stayed and watched, eyes fixed on the bird. After a minute, she flapped her wings and flitted over soundlessly. Imperceptible, barely tangible except as a sort of breeze, she brushed against Onni’s cheek, perched for a moment on Lalli’s shoulder.  
The note sounded for the last time, and she was gone.  
Onni hid his face, but Lalli knew it was covered in tears.  
They were silent a minute, letting the chatter of the city and shouts of reunion wash over and around them.  
“Better than weird gulls,” said Lalli at last.

**Author's Note:**

> "aveste vexas" is Latin for "birds annoy you," by the way.


End file.
